We all want the top spot when someone looks for our products or services. The winner is dictated by the search engine algorithms, the method they use to rank websites. If you’ve listened to the SEO news over the last couple of years you’ll have heard people panicking over the endless rounds of Google algorithm updates. Hummingbird, Penguin, Panda, etc. So what’s all the panic about and how can you stay ahead of these changes?
Don’t Panic!
Every time Google releases an update the SEO world goes into panic mode. Websites tumble to the bottom of the rankings and people declare that search engine optimisation is dead.
If you actually look at what Google is trying to do there really isn’t any reason to panic, unless you’re… well… cheating! If you, or your SEO company, are using underhand methods then you have every reason to panic as Google may well have caught up with your tactics.
My Top 5 Tips for Search Engine Success
1. Write Quality Content That’s Relevant to Your Customers
This is THE key factor in getting a better search engine ranking. EVERY Google update is aimed at promoting websites that add to the overall quality of the Internet. The amount of high-quality, unique and focused content in your site directly translates to whether Google thinks you’re a useful site or just another set of dead, uninteresting webpages. Quality content can be posts to your blog, information pages, tutorials, reviews, product descriptions, or any other way you can provide a positive experience for your website visitors.
2. Write More Quality Content
Yes, it really is that important.
3. Be Socially Active
Being active on social media websites such as Google +, Facebook and Twitter shows Google that you’re an active member of your community. It also means that other people will start talking about your company which again will show Google that you’re a worthwhile place to visit.
4. Encourage Linking
The number of websites that link to yours is one of the biggest factors in boosting your search engine ranking. But the links you get need to be from quality websites relevant to your marketplace. One of the best ways to get these sorts of links is to write top quality content (I said it was important!). By writing useful articles people within your niche will start to link to you, simply because you’ve got good information on your webpages. If you listen to Google’s message this is exactly what they’re looking for as links are a direct indication of how good your site is.
5. Don’t Be Tempted by SEO Offers
If you own a website you’ve no doubt been approached by loads of companies guaranteeing the number one spot in Google for the bargain basement price of $50. These offers always seem too good to be true. And that’s because they are.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services are a great way of getting better search engine rankings but you must work with an ethical company. Many of the cheap packages you come across involve generating lots of spam links to your website that give you a very short-term boost. This boost lasts long enough for the company to get their money from you but soon afterwards Google catches up with what their tricks and your site then plummets down the rankings as you’re penalised for bad practice.
My Advice
With every update Google very clearly states what makes a good website. And it’s always the same message.
Quality content that adds to the Internet and active participation within your marketplace.
There’s no need to go looking for loopholes and secret backdoor methods to get to the top of the search engine results. This will only hurt you in the long run. If you know about some loophole I guarantee Google knows about it as well, and their team of scientists will work hard to close it, and penalise anybody taking advantage of it.
So stick to the basic advice above. It’s the current best practice, and will only get more powerful in the future.
